Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company, Old Rasputin is one of my favorite beers. Not only are these guys making great beers they are part of a great initiative. They support Jazz music. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy an Old Rasputin than to listen to Jazz music while drinking it.

As I mentioned, Old Rasputin is literally one of my top 3 beers of all time. That makes me biased, but it’s my beer review :). I like everything about this beer. The dark, rich color. The wonderful taste it leaves in your mouth. The thickness of the drink and yet the smoothness it goes down with.

The smell. The smell is amazing. It has hints of so many things; vanilla, coffee, chocolate and malt. I will go so far as to say even milk. Very rich. Very. The taste is even better. Almost velvety, the drink is smooth and, as I mentioned, seems milky. Maybe milk chocolate? You can definitely notice the presence of the roasted malt but is balanced by the slight bitterness of the hops they use. I prefer it cold but I have had it at room temperature and it is just as good either way. I have had it on tap as well, simply amazing. This beer is 9% alc/vol and you can feel it on the way down. The taste of the beer itself, however, makes the alcohol taste non-existent. It’s a nice anomaly.

As I stated earlier in the post, one of the reasons why this is one of my favorite beers is the appearance. Just look at the color. Look at the head. It’s perfect. It’s, dare I say, Heavenly. You must, I repeat, you must take a sip while the head is still there. That’s the only way to experience this beer. Indulge. Just do it. You can thank me later. Being that it’s a week away from Christmas, this beer is perfect for the season. It warms the insides so to speak. Definitely a beer to share with family and reminisce about old times. When it first hits your taste buds the flavors are that of malts, molasses and overall rich sweetness. Then coffee and chocolate. And or chocolate. It’s really unique. It finishes bitter; the hops. This is what really makes it such a well-rounded beer. I don’t like beers that are too sweet and I don’t like beers that are too bitter; this has both. I really like it. The name of the beer suits the taste; it’s just as complex and mysterious as Rasputin, the man himself.

As far as beer goes, this is among the best. Among the elite. If you don’t drink stouts or don’t like them, you’ll like this. If you do like stouts, this is one of your favorites [or at least it should be]. I think this beer is great to end the night with. Drink with dessert. Drink alongside a big piece of chocolate cake. Maybe even before or after drinking a nice White Russian. I did. Let me tell you, both have similar flavors and the pairing is unbelievable. Try it; don’t do it fast. Enjoy the subtle flavors of both. Enjoy the after affects.

Looks like you’re off to a great start. That picture of the foam is awesome.

The detail of your tastes in the text draws me into envious intentions of buying some Old Rasputin to the extent that it’s now on my Want List. A friend of mine mentioned tasting O.R. recently, and I was instantly jealous, not having seen it anywhere locally. I know it’s available somewhere… I just have to find it. I love these beer challenges.

There is no other way to say “Keep up the good work” than to visit your website on a regular basis and see how you manipulate your taste buds into words.

Thanks.

Frank

Beer Blog Buzz said

I’m glad to hear! You are in the Chicago area, no? Check Binny’s, I know they will have it. Otherwise try Sal’s Beverage World or pretty much any liquor store that has more than a few craft beers will have it. It’s worth the search/drive. Regards!